Emmerdale star Lawrence Robb has opened up about Mackenzie Boyd and Charity Dingle's future following Charity's devastating secrets, including her pregnancy with Ross Barton's child and her rape by Doctor Caitlin Todd. The couple, played by Robb and Emma Atkins, face an uncertain path as Mack grapples with betrayal and trauma.
Charity's Secrets Unravel
Charity Dingle had hidden for nearly a year that she was pregnant with Ross Barton's child. She gave birth to baby Leyla and handed her to Sarah Sugden and Jacob, allowing them to believe the child was theirs via surrogacy. After the birth, Doctor Caitlin Todd, who had bullied Jacob, discovered the truth and blackmailed Charity for £100,000. At her breaking point, Charity got drunk and told Todd to reveal the secret. Todd then waited for Charity to pass out and raped her. Charity reported the assault, but Todd was released due to lack of physical evidence, claiming the sex was consensual.
Mack's Heartbreak and Anger
After Charity confessed everything to Mack, he is struggling to process the revelations. 'It’s a lot to get his head around,' Robb said. 'Yes, there’s the betrayal with Ross, but also the awful reality of what she’s been through at the hands of Dr. Todd. Ultimately, he’s heartbroken. He’s absolutely beside himself with grief, both from the betrayal about Leyla’s parentage and because his heart hurts for Charity and the fact that she’s gone through all of this trauma and had to keep a secret for so long. He feels so much anger towards Todd.'
Relationship Status and Future
Mack has chosen to stay with Charity and support her fight for justice. Both have made it clear they don't want their relationship to end, but Robb wonders about the future when Sarah and Jacob learn the truth. 'I think there’s maybe an element of them sticking a band-aid over it,' he said. 'Mack doesn’t really get much time to deal with it because he immediately enters protection mode. So, whether that rears its head further on down the line, I don’t know. But he doesn’t have a lot of time to process it. Also, Sarah and Jacob don’t know the truth yet. Inevitably that has to come to fruition somehow, somewhere.'
Betrayal by Ross
Charity slept with Mack's best mate Ross when the two men weren't friends, but their later friendship developed on a foundation of secrets. Robb noted Mack feels 'deeply betrayed by Ross.' 'They were becoming close friends, so learning that Ross knew about Leyla feels like a big betrayal. While he might understand Charity’s motivations better due to his love for her, the betrayal from Ross is harder to reconcile. I think there’s a lot of anger directed towards Ross – not so much because of the infidelity but because of the reality of Leyla’s biological parentage.'
Revenge on Ross
In upcoming episodes, Mack gets revenge on Ross. Robb revealed: 'Mack asks Ross to come up to the farm. Mack can’t keep his anger in check while he’s with Ross, Ross realises almost immediately that something is wrong. Tensions flare, they trade heated words, and the confrontation escalates into a scuffle on the barn mezzanine. Mack pushes Ross over the side. In that moment, Mack isn’t trying to kill him – he just wants to hurt him. He achieves that and walks away…' The extent of Ross's injuries remains to be seen.
